National Cup Cake Week

Bacon & maple syrup cupcakes

By Lily Vanilli

These cupcakes I first made for a breakfast event with (jelly experimenters) Bompas & Parr. The theme was 'MEAT' and the centrepiece a hog's head. Never knowingly doing anything by halves, or even three-quarters, they had decorated their place with huge diagrams of animals divided into their cuts. There was champagne with strawberries injected with ether, and I made these breakfast meat cupcakes with bacon. I tried to echo the flavours you would find in a traditional American French toast and bacon breakfast so it's very buttery and light, with maple syrup frosting, nutmeg, toasted pecan and caramelised bacon slices.

1. Toast a handful of pecans in a hot oven on a baking sheet for around 7 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 180C.
3. Have all your ingredients ready at room temperature.

Ingredients

Combine and set aside

• Unsalted butter 170g
• Caster sugar 215g
• Combine and set aside Marriages or other quality flour (sifted) 180g
• Baking powder 1/2 tsp
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• Grated fresh nutmeg 1/2 tsp
• Pinch cinnamon

Combine and set aside

• Whole milk 125ml
• Good vanilla essence 1 tsp
• Eggs, separated 3

Method

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy (7-10 mins).
2. Add the yolks one at a time, beating until just evenly incorporated.
3. Then add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the wet, mix evenly begin and ending with the dry.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff.
5. Gently fold whites into the mixture in two parts.
6. Divide the batter evenly into lined muffin pans and bake for 15 mins or until just brown & a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Vanilla, Maple frosting

• Butter 60gIcing sugar 300g
• Double cream 125ml Good maple syrup 4 tbsp

1. Beat the butter until soft and add the sugar, vanilla and cream and then maple syrup, beating until smooth and creamy.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil, lay bacon strips out and brush with maple syrup. Bake until crispy (20-25 mins) in a 200C oven.
3. Pipe cooled cupcakes with the frosting, then add a toasted pecan and strip of crispy bacon. Add a drizzle of maple syrup and some cracked black pepper.

Originally published in British Baker. For more creative cake ideas, recipes and baking tips visit lily-vanilli.blogspot.com

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